Parish Council

Introduction

Semington Parish Council has a maximum of nine elected councillors who are guided by an experienced and qualified Clerk. The Parish Council has discretionary and legislative powers, rights and obligations laid down by Parliament to represent and provide services for the community.  It looks after assets that are held on behalf of the public and supports community groups that use these and other facilities.  The Parish Council acts as a sounding board for local opinion and is formally consulted by Wiltshire Council on matters affecting the parish, most notably on housing development and other planning issues.  It holds its meetings in public and anyone living or working in the village is welcome to attend and raise issues. 

Vision and Goal

Semington Parish Council’s vision is to help the village to continue to benefit from the traffic reduction made possible by the re-routing of the A350 in 2004.  We will build on the actively rural character that residents and visitors know and love.  The Parish Council will enable and encourage this vision, using this character as the compass to help guide the decisions we make and the activities we support.

The overall goal of Semington Parish Council is to promote the best interests of the entire community, consistent with its statutory and financial obligations and within the guidelines of the Vision.  To achieve this, the Parish Council sets out to support, safeguard and strengthen the community, to enable social and economic developments that meet the existing and emerging needs of the people who live, work and go to school in the village, to encourage and enable a sense of belonging and inclusion, and to enable individuals, families and organisations in Semington to participate in, contribute to, and benefit from living in this actively rural community.

Framework Themes

The work of Semington Parish Council can usefully be set out under five themes.  In what follows we identify how each theme aligns with the vision and goals and then list the specific activities the Parish Council undertakes in relation to each of these themes, either directly or by supporting the work of community and other groups.  Individual councillors will lead each of the themes and their development.

The themes were agreed after a village consultation in the Summer of 2020.  They will evolve over time, as the needs of the village change and we expect to deliberately update them annually.  We hope to achieve the specific tasks and activities listed this year, or at least get started on them.  If you would like to get involved in shaping or delivering any of the Themes, by joining a Theme Team or just submitting your ideas, please contact us.

Vision, Goal and Strategic Framework

1 Planning and Development

We will seek to influence planning decisions to maintain the character of the village.  We do not want to stop all development, but rather ensure that it is proportionate and compatible with our vision and goals and specifically that change happens at a pace that allows the community to adapt.

2 Transport and Traffic

We will encourage the management of roads and other transport networks in a way that maintains the actively rural character of the village, seeking to reduce the A-road feel of the high street and adjoining roads within the village.

3 Environment and Street Scene

We will actively nurture and enhance the rural character of the village within its wider rural landscape.

4 Community and Communication

We will ensure that members of the community have input to this framework and the themes.  We will also ensure that residents know who the Parish Councillors are and can contact them to seek their support and involvement.

5 Recreation and Wellbeing

We will encourage the village community to be active, enhancing the formal recreational facilities around the village, as well as the wider rural landscape.

 

The Vision, Goal and Strategic Framework were written and adopted by Semington Parish Council in September 2020.  Full details of the themes are on the Framework Themes page and the formal version of the Framework document is available on the Documents page.